15. Enemies

The enemies that characters will encounter are not like them—they are simpler machines that produce similar results.

15.1 Enemy Skill is Not Like Character Skill (7.2)

Enemy Skill covers everything they lack, including Advanced Skills and Luck. They use the same number to climb a rope as to hit or cast a Spell.

15.1.2

Enemy Spells do not cost Stamina.

15.1.2

Enemies do not spend Luck. They don’t have a Luck score and instead Roll Versus their Skill, which never diminishes. They also may not Test their Luck to gain an advantage for themselves in combat, such as testing Luck to increase Damage.

15.2 Why the Stamina Disparity?

The Stamina of enemies tends towards lower numbers than characters. This is to speed battles along and to make it somewhat fairer on the characters who must spend Stamina for their magic. Note that the combat rules and Damage have been balanced in such a way that a goblin is a threat no matter how much Stamina it has.

15.3 Initiative is Different for Enemies

While all characters contribute two Initiative Tokens each, enemies have their own specific totals. These are all the same colour and are added to the Initiative Stack and drawn similarly to the characters’ Initiative Tokens. When an Enemy Token is drawn the GM may use it to activate and take a Turn with any enemy present. There is no limit to the number of times a single enemy may act in a Round—indeed you could have one enemy perform all actions drawn. This does not represent speed so much as it represents commitment to action while others stall or perform minor tasks (5.5).

EXAMPLE: A lizard-man and a goblin are fighting the characters, both of which are contributing to the Initiative Stack. When an enemy Initiative Token is drawn the GM may declare that either one of them is acting.

15.4 Armour is the Same

Rather than have varying types of Armour enemies just have a number. This is treated exactly the same as the numbers associated with character Armour and represents physical protection, speed, incorporeality, etc.

15.5 Mien

If you have a plan for the enemies’ attitude then go with that. Otherwise Roll to see how they appear when meeting the group. Use this as inspiration when playing them and to help avoid falling into routine hostility.